


Leveling up with Taako

by epersonae



Series: The Journal-Keeper [6]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: IPRE, Multi, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-25
Updated: 2017-04-25
Packaged: 2018-10-23 22:13:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10728312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/epersonae/pseuds/epersonae
Summary: Lucretia seeks out magical instruction. Taako gives a test.





	Leveling up with Taako

Lucretia practiced asking about a dozen times in the mirror before she got up the nerve to ask in person.

“Taako, will you help me learn more magic?”

He tapped one long fingernail to his lips.

“I thought you did a course in school?”

“I wasn’t very attentive, honestly. The only thing I use anymore is Floating Disc, and all I do with it is use it for a desk.”

The elf nodded thoughtfully. Then he glanced back into his room.

“Hey, Lup, guess who wants cha’boy to teach ‘em magic?”

“Ooooh, is your muscle man going to be a wizard when he grows up?” Lucretia sighed heavily. “Wait, I hear the bookworm! That’ll be so much fun. I wanna show her how to blow stuff up.”

“Taako…?” Lucretia said nervously.

“She’s the absolute best at what she does, Lucy darling. Imagine learning from two of the best wizards! You’d be lucky to get such an education.”

“Ok. Yes. Ok. I definitely need to learn. So, let’s do this.”

Lup hollered and leapt to the door. 

“Are you ready to set some shit on fire?” she asked, punching Lucretia in the shoulder.

Lucretia smiled despite her nerves, and the twins each took one of her arms and started walking with her down the hallway.

***

Lucretia hits fruit out of the trees with Magic Missiles. She writes a sharp clean line on a trunk with a Scorching Ray. She walks around the ship with Detect Magic running, pointing out items and effects to the twins. She creates a Fog Cloud around the ship, just big enough to make it seem to disappear into the trees.

And at night, she writes up every spell she’s practiced, noting exactly what Taako and Lup have told her about how to make them work better. In her room, she practices anything that works in a confined space: all the spells for light and dark, all the prestidigitation effects. 

She sends Magnus Messages “hi I missed u today” “Lup taught me Chromatic Orb” “what r u doing now” and he sent back replies “I missed u 2” “that sounds shiny” “I’m out on a patrol”. And as she gets better at the spell, she hears his voice better in the reply. So she keeps practicing.

***

“The important thing about a good illusion, Lucy-goosey, is really owning it. You know, you have to act like the illusion is 110% the real thing. See, it’s easy to look like someone else --” Taako snapped his fingers and became an exact double of Lucretia “-- but unless you’re in it, you own it the way they do, someone will notice that something’s wrong, even if they can’t name it.”

She nodded and jotted the advice in her notebooks. Then a mage hand snatched them out of her grip.

“I’ll take those,” said Taako-disguised-as-Lucretia. “It’s your turn.”

She cast the spell, and when she looked down, she had copied Taako exactly. She eyed the collection of sparkling rings and bangles, the spattering of freckles on golden skin, the chipped green nail polish. She touched the fine wispy hair, the pointed ear tips.

“Ok….” She felt impossibly self-consious.

“So now you need to be Taako, darling,” and it was just as odd to hear his inflection coming from what appeared to be her mouth.

She cleared her throat.

“Why yes, Lucy dear,” she said. “I just need to do what Taako does.” She flung out a hand. “Shall we?”

A broad grin spread across Taako’s face, but he quickly adjusted his expression to something more measured as he took her hand.

“I should enjoy your company,” he said.

She glanced at the notebooks tucked under his arm.

“I hope you’re not going to try writing in there.”

“I just need the right accoutrements, is all.”

“Lup or Magnus?” she asked.

“Ooooooh, Mango Mags, definitely. I think he’s training?”

It was a clear warm afternoon and Magnus was outside, running through a series of movies against a practice dummy.

Taako leaned over and whispered in her ear, “He’s all sweaty! You know what Taako does best, my dude, and that’s flirting with a big sweaty boy. Lucy, well, she can just stand back and take notes.”

Lucretia’s heart was pounding in her chest. She looked down at herself -- at Taako’s robe and jacket -- and gave him a stricken look.

“I can’t --”

But he just pushed her forward, and she stumbled out into the field, crashing into Magnus. She stared at him, blinking.

“Hi.” She gulped. This was the test, right? Using Disguise Self effectively? “Mags, dearie, I’m so sorry, how -- uncharacteristically -- clumsy of me.” She gave him a peck on the cheek. He was really sweaty, and distractingly warm. She tried to keep focused on her illusion.

“It’s all good,” said Magnus, and he grabbed her ass (Taako’s ass?), which she supposed she should respond to, but she was too startled to do anything but blush. “Oh, you’re with Lucretia!” he said.

Taako responded, “Yeah, Taako’s been teaching me some rad magic; it’s pretty sweet.”

Magnus glanced at Lucretia with a slightly quizzical expression.

“Yup, ya girl Lucy needs some help leveling up with Taako, my dude.” And with that she threw an arm around Magnus’ waist, tapping the long fingers of her other hand on his chest. She stared into his eyes, enjoying a rare moment of being virtually the same height. “Well, bubbeleh, are you done training?”

His glance shifted between Taako and Lucretia, and a smile spread across his face.

“I guess I could be? If you’re done with your lesson?”

She looked at Taako and grinned. He put his hand over his own wicked smile.

“I’d say we’re done, Maggie,” she said.

She was starting to head back to the ship, still wrapped around Magnus, when the door opened.

“Taako!” said Lup, and both Taako and Lucretia startled, but Lup was looking right at the real Taako. “Why didn’t you tell me you were going to take kiddo to practice Disguise Self?”

Magnus looked at Lucretia, his eyebrows scrunched up.

“Really?”

She shrugged.

Magnus leaned in and gave her a long kiss, which she responded to without a thought. When he pulled away, Magnus was smiling. He licked his lips.

“Yeah, definitely not Taako.”


End file.
